Life, travel, and living beyond your expectations

A big hole in the ground

Last week, my husband and I went out west and I finally got a chance to see the Grand Canyon up close. I’ve flown over it many times, but had always wanted to actually go see it. This photo was taken while we were walking on the Rim Trail and had stopped for a break. It was amazing to sit there and just look at such a jaw-dropping sight.

See more Grand Canyon photos.

Some things I learned about the Grand Canyon during our trip:

There is a school system, post office, and hospital within the park for the 2,000 (winter) to 5,000 (summer/high season) people who work and live there.

The park sees over 5 million visitors a year.

They encourage recycling, and have spigots of “real canyon spring water” to encourage use of reusable bottles.

There are very few railings or safety warning signs. You can literally walk off the edge of the canyon and fall hundreds of feet if you’re being stupid or not paying attention.

The farther you can get from the main viewing points, the better the experience. It takes a lot of hard work on the trails to get away from most people, but it’s totally worth the experience. There were long stretches where it was just us and the canyon.

As we were walking back to the car at the end of our first day at the canyon, we passed an older gentleman on a bench talking to another man. I heard him say, “I’ve seen a big hole in the ground before and I don’t need to see this one.” Sir, I respectfully disagree.